Improvement in track-clearers



l. H, MILLER.

Tr'ack-Clearers. No. 138,913, PatntedMay13,1873.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MILLER, OF FREDERIGKTON, NEW BRUNSWICK.

IMPROVEMENT m TRACK-CLEARERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,913, dated May 13, 1873; application filed January 2, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MILLER, of Frederickton, in the county of York, and Province of New Brunswick, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flange Clearers for Railroad Tracks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 shows a side view of my device;

Fig. 2, a plan; and Fig. 3, a detail of the clearer.

My invention consists of a device for clearing snow from railroad tracks, which device is attached to the cow-catcher commonly carried by locomotive engines. It is capable of being raised from the track when necessary by means of levers communicating with the cab.

In the accompanying drawing, A shows the cow-catcher, as common. At b b, on each side thereof are the flange, or track-clearers, made of thin metal, and in substantially the form shown with the opening 0, (see Fig. 3) therein to admit the track f. These clearers are pivoted to the cow-catcher at e, by a bolt passing through a slot, g, in the clearer, permitting a slight, longitudinal motion, in order that they may accommodate themselves automatically to the track when going around curves. At h h, pivoted to each clearer, and also, at their upper ends, to a rocker-bar j, are rods c z". Therocker-bar is provided with a lever, k, and arm Z extending therefrom to the cab, so that the engineer can,'when necessary, raise the elearers from the track-as, for instance, when approaching a switch or cross track. The front of the cow-catcher, and, consequently, the clearers attached thereto, being at an angle with the track the snow is thrown off on each side. 7

In case of deep snows it may be advisable to sheathe the cow-catcher with sheet metal,

and wings on each side, such as are used on snow-plows, may also be attached, as at B B.

My device can also be attached to the ordinary snow-plow, increasing their utility; but I regard a snowplow in this connection as the mechanical equivalent of the cow-catcher.

I do not claim the devices shown in the application of W. R. Nichols, filed October 29, 1859. His is intended for a safety guard more particularly, and is, in fact, a small snow-plow operating like any snow-plow, but attached in front of the car wheels instead of to the engine. It does not remove the snow from the flanges nor within two inches of the top of the rail, as will be seen on examination of his specification and drawing.

My device is designed for attachment to the cow-catcher or pilot of the engine, or

'to the ordinary snow-plow to render it more eifective, so that the snow will be cleared from the sides as well as from the top of the rail. Without my device the pilot or cow-catcher is practically useless for removing snow, and v the snowplow does it imperfectly. It consists, as before stated, of a flat plate of metal, having an opening therein to admit therail so that the snow on the sides as well as top is removed. By its position upon and attachment to the pilot or cow-catcher it crosses the rail diagonally while the pilot behind it serves as a backing and renders it solid.

I do not claim the devices shown in A. M. Butts patent, No. 108,565, issued October 25, 1870, which consists of a curved scraper at tached to a car; nor do I claim the scraper of O. 0. Elliott, patented March 5, 1867, which consists of a scraper mounted on a scraper carrying shaft, and connected thereto by springs so as to allow a vertical or lateral motion; nor that shown in Benj. Folsoms patent, issued {April 17, 1866, which is attached to a car and held upon the track by springs and adjusted by a wheel and set-pin. Neither Butts nor Folsoms devices have any connection with a pilot or cow-catcher, while my invention is dependent upon the triangular form of the pilot for a great part of its efiiciency.

sisting .of flat metal plates with openings 0 therein, pivoted to the pilot near the front end thereof by a pivot passing through the forward end of the plate, allowing a vertical motion, to the rear end of the clearer-the openings 0 to embrace the track so as to remove the snow from the sides or flanges as well as from the top-substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the clearers b b secured to the pilot A, of the rods it and rocker-bar j with its arm 70 and lever l, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I

have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of December, 1872.

Witnesses: J. H. MILLER.

EUGENE M. HERSEY, WM. FRANKLIN SEAVEY- 

